Here’s a chart showing amounts of magnesium in common foods. Food items are listed by amount of magnesium in each. Notice the difference between brown rice and white rice, 42 milligrams in the brown and only 13 in the white rice.

Does magnesium play a role in the hypokalemia of Bartter’s syndrome?

A patient with Bartter’s syndrome manifested hypomagnesemia in addition to hypokalemia. Under conditions of maximal free water production, he had a fractional distal solute reabsorption of 0.65, a value consistent with a renal defect in sodium chloride reabsorption in the thick ascending limb of the loop of Henle. This is also the site of 65% to 70% of urinary magnesium reabsorption.

Hypomagnesemia and hypophosphatemia at admission in patients with severe head injury

Objective: Low serum levels of electrolytes such as magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and phosphate (P) can lead to a number of clinical problems in intensive care unit (ICU) patients, including hypertension, coronary vasoconstriction, disturbances in heart rhythm, and muscle weakness.

Magnesium (Mg) is an essential cofactor for more than 300 separate enzymes within the human body. Thus know to be “indispensable to the metabolism of ATP, which means that it is essential in a great many metabolic processes such as glucose utilization; synthesis of fat, protein, and nucleic acids; muscle contraction; and some membrane transport systems.”(1) Those desirous of learning more about Mg should read the excellent short review by Elin.(2)

by Herbert C. Mansmann, Jr. M.D.

As a child in the 1920’s, Zinc (Zn) oxide was our antibiotic ointment for all sorts of skin conditions. As a pediatrician in the 1950’s, it was still the treatment of choice for infected diaper rashes. Recently Zn lozenges have become the treatment for symptoms of the common cold, although meta-analysis of multiple clinical studies has not borne this out as being effective. Most common cold viruses grow and reside in the nose, not in the throat, so this analysis should not be unsuspected. Yet Zn is very safe and if it seems to work for you, I would recommend that one continue to use the lozenges.

by Herbert C. Mansmann, Jr. M.D.

It has been known since the 1950s that alcohol is magnesuretic, causes loss of magnesium in the urine and it was suggested that alcoholics needed 7-10 mg/kg/day of Mg, rather than the recommended 6 mg/kg/day. It has since been demonstrated that they need more also because of a decreased oral Mg dietary intake. (Seelig, 1980).

by Herbert C. Mansmann, Jr. M.D.

The definition of magnesium deficiency (MgD) is “a reduction in the total body Mg content” (Welt 1965) (Elin 1988). This includes any test for Mg content that is decrease below the lowest normal reference level in any of the laboratory methods of measuring Mg regardless of the body sample studied. For years the medical profession has recognized that serum magnesium (sMg) less than 1.7mg/dL (1.32mEq/L or 0.7mmol/L) was diagnostic of MgD, a serious medical problem.

by Herbert C. Mansmann, Jr. M.D.

The diet of high income Americans only contains 120 mg of Mg per 1,000 calories. The Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine has set Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) at 350 mg of elemental Mg per day. Who do you know that eats at least 3,000 calories per day? Over time this low daily intake of Mg leads to a low Total Body Mg Content.

by Herbert C. Mansmann, Jr., M.D.

Everyone needs Magnesium. Well persons also, yet the American diet of middle class women provides much less than the 360 mg per day, the old RDA, and our American diet gives us only 120 mg per 1,000 calories per day. Now will all of you that eat 3,000 cal a day please rise!! Therefore all Americans need Mg.